'So... you gentlemen have been turned out by the vampires, have ye?' said Nanny, as the bottle bobbed through the throng. A roar went up.
'Blaznet!'
'Ach, yon weezit fash' deveel!'
'Arnoch, a hard tickut!'
'Bigjobs!'
'I daresay you can stop in Lancre,' said Nanny, above the din.
'Just a moment, Nanny-' Magrat began.
Nanny waved a hand at her hurriedly. 'There's that island up on the lake,' she went on, raising her voice. 'It's where the herons nest. Just the place, eh? Lots of fish, lots of hunting up the valley.'
The blue pixies went into a huddle. Then one of them looked up.
'Priznae? Yowl's nae brennit, moy ghail!'
'Oh, you'd be left to yourself,' said Nanny. 'But no stealing cattle, eh?'
'These steal cattle?' said Agnes. 'Full-size cattle? How many of them does it take?'
'Four.'
'Four?'
'One under each foot. Seen 'em do it. You see a cow in a field, mindin' its own business, next minute the grass is rustlin', some little bugger shouts, "Hup, hup, hup," and the poor beast goes past voom! without its legs movin',' said Nanny. 'They're stronger'n cockroaches. You step on a pixie, you'd better be wearing good thick soles.'
'Nanny, you can't give them the island! It doesn't belong to you!' said Magrat.
'It doesn't belong to anyone,' said Nanny.
'It belongs to the King!'
'Ah. Well, what's his is yours, so give 'em the island and Verence can sign a bit o' paper later on. It's worth it,' Nanny added. 'A rent of not stealing our cows is well worth it. Otherwise you'll see cows zippin' around very fast. Backwards, sometimes.'
'Without their legs moving?' said Agnes.
'Right!'
'Well-' Magrat began.
'And they'll be useful,' Nanny added, lowering her voice. 'Fighting's what they like best.'
'Whist, yon fellaight fra' aquesbore!'
'Drinkin's what they like best,' Nanny corrected herself.
'Nae, boon a scullen!'
'Drinkin' and fightin's what they like best,' said Nanny.
'An' snaflin' coobeastie.'
'And stealing cows,' said Nanny. 'Drinkin', fightin' and stealin' cows is what they like best. Listen, Magrat, I'd rather have 'em in here pissin' out than outside pissin' in. There's more of them and they'll make your ankles all wet.'
'But what can they do?' said Magrat.